FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 335 



sides finely streaked, flanks more broadly ; sides of head buffy white, with 

 a touch of yellow above the eye ; two narrow black stripes from bill, and 

 one back of eye ; shoulders tinged with greenish yellow and bend of wing 

 yellowish white. Length : (skins) 4.50-4.59, wing 2.12-2.13, tail 1.88-1.90, 

 bill .4S-.48. 



Distribution. South Dakota in summer, and probably other regions 

 along the eastern border of the Plains. 



548. Ammodramus leconteii (Aud.). LECONTE SPARROW. 



Adults. Crown with two blackish stripes in sharp contrast to buffy 

 and grayish median stripe ; sides of head and superciliary buffy or yellow- 

 ish brown ; hind neck chestnut, feathers edged with grayish ; rest of upper 

 parts brownish, marked strikingly with blackish and buffy, the feathers 

 black, notched with grayish, with rufous and buffy cream U-shaped 

 edgings ; throat, breast, and sides biiffy ; belly white ; sides and flanks 

 streaked ; bill small and slender ; tail graduated. Young : much more 

 buffy, deeper above, paler beneath, body streaked with blackish, more 

 narrowly on under parts. Male : length (skins) 4.15-4.74, wing 1.94-2.12, 

 tail 1.81-2.05, bill .33-.40. Female: length (skins) 4.35-5.00, wing 1.93- 

 2.10, tail 1.83-2.20, bill .33-.39. 



Distribution. Breeds in prairie marshes of Transition and Upper 

 Sonoran zones, from Assiniboia and Manitoba southeast to Indiana ; win- 

 ters in the southern states ; accidental in Idaho. 



Nest. Near the ground in dense fallen grass, made of grass, cup- 

 shaped. Eggs : 4 or 5, pale greenish white, heavily spotted with reddish 

 brown and lavender. 



Subgenus Ammodramus. 



Tail rounded, feathers sharp pointed; wing short and 

 rounded, secondaries nearly even. 



Fig. 424. 



549.1. Ammodramus nelsoni (Allen). NELSON SPARROW. 



Adults. Superciliary bright buff, sharply contrasting with dark brown 

 or blackish sides of crown ; middle of crown, back of head, and hind neck 

 gray, more or less mixed with rusty ; middle of back dark brown, strikingly 

 marked with chalky white stre&ks ; edge of wing yellow ; tail rounded ; 

 under parts white, sides of throat, chest, and sides washed with buffy or 

 yellowish brown, and indistinctly streaked with darker. Young : upper 

 parts dull yellowish brown ; sides of crown chiefly black ; back broadly 

 streaked with black; under parts buff, streaked on chest with dusky. 

 Male: length (skins) 4.50-4.90, wing 2.10-2.48, tail 1.80-2.07, bill .40-.42. 

 Female : length (skins) 4.40-4.80, wing 2.05-2.20, tail 1.70-1.90, bill .40- 

 .42. 



Distribution. Breeds in prairie marshes of the interior from Manitoba 

 to northern Illinois ; migrates to the Atlantic coast, and winters south to 

 Gulf coast of Texas ; accidental in California. 



Eggs. Similar to those of leconteii. 



Food. Insects, especially leaf -hoppers, midges, and horseflies, together 

 with weed seed. 



5 5 Ob. Ammodramus maritimus sennetti Allen. TEXAS 



SEASIDE SPARROW. 



Adults. Upper parts olive gray, streaked with black and whitish ; lores 

 and edge of wing bright yellow ; throat white ; rest of under parts grayish 



